


koi no yokan

by kemonomimi



Series: fate's touch [1]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, Canon Related, M/M, Platonic Soulmates (mentioned), Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 15:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12774333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kemonomimi/pseuds/kemonomimi
Summary: those who run from fate find themselves tangled up in her red thread. soulmate au.





	koi no yokan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chu/gifts).



> happy birthday, lora.
> 
> inspired by this [list](http://r-evolve-art.tumblr.com/post/128449371168/soulmates-au-list) and this [work](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9687743/chapters/21869969) in particular from the mystic messenger fandom.
> 
> sorry, i've had writer's block for the longest time and i'm still really rusty.
> 
> koi no yokan (japanese) - the feeling the first time one meets someone that they will fall in love, ie the premonition of love.

 

Initially the first fleeting glance of neat letters along his wrist accompanied by shy, ticklish sensation of the curve of the ink perplexed the then adolescent Ren. Without a maternal figure around, the conversation regarding the possible arrival of the scrawl had been waylaid. It was by chance that it was George, perhaps the only person in the household qualified to explain the intricacies without resentment, who found the youngest Jinguji squinting against the sun with his arm raised, examining the careful greeting temporarily etched into his skin.

 

\--

 

That night in the Hijirikawa household, a quiet boy rolled over to face the wall and rubbed stubbornly at heavy-eyelids to double-check he wasn’t imagining the warm, fluttering _hi_ – a gentle response to his shy _hello_.

 

\--

 

For children, labels and names held little importance. Ren was no different in that aspect – he never thought to ask his soulmate for a name. Perhaps he just assumed, given the nature of the bond, that he would learn it eventually when he was older, when it would matter. It was fun having a secret friend to whom to talk when the house was too lonely despite being filled with people. His new friend’s replies were always slow, but so precisely written that they gave the impression of time and thought poured into each one.

 

Ren could tell the difference between people who spoke vapidly, and those who spoke with conviction.

 

So when the words came, and the stinging pain with them, it was like a blow to the jaw; _I’m sorry – they said I can’t talk to you anymore, I’m sorry._

 

No amount of coaxing words brought more to his bare wrist. No responses to his angry words either. There was just cold flesh beneath his warm fingertips.

 

\--

In the Hijirikawa manor, in a place that felt like the opposite side of the world, a timid boy buckling under the pressure of his father’s expectations said goodbye to one of his only friends, and slowly felt the warmth of another’s touch leave the spot that kept them connected.

\--

For a while, things were okay – not good, not bad; just okay. Ren made a friend at a party. His name was Masato Hijrikawa, and he was the firstborn son of a rival conglomerate. He was quieter than Ren, but his eyes lit up warmly when Ren spoke to him. But that didn’t last either; like the silent soulmate, they came from different worlds. Ren was the last-born son, the extra baggage of the family; Masato was the heir who bore the family’s obligations.

Their paths were meant to fork.

 

\--

 

...Or so they believed, until they faced one another in the buzzing cafeteria at Saotome’s school for up-and-coming idols. It seemed like Fate developed a sadistic streak to assign them as roommates.

 

Haruka Nanami, bless her, didn’t let it stay a cruel joke. She saw the potential that resided bottled up in the then six boys behind walls of insecurities and circumstance. Six became seven, and the group slowly started to feel more whole.

Hijirikawa and Jinguji’s jabs replaced venom with educated concern, and an unsteady friendship was slowly rekindled.

 

\--

“Eh, even Ochibi-chan thinks about those kind of things~?” Masato Hijirikawa glanced up from his calligraphy work to take inventory of the conversation across the room. Ren was lazing across the sofa, dog-eared magazine abandoned on his lap. Despite the wide smile on Ren’s lips, Masato noticed the way his hand fisted in the cushion and the edge to his voice.

 

“OI, What do you mean by that?” Syo ducked his head in embarrassment, too flustered to even object to the nickname he often protested. “Of course I do! Doesn’t everyone?! I mean… everyone wants to know if they have a soulmate out there, right?”

 

“If you’re so curious, why don’t you try it then?” Tokiya set his book down on the glass coffee table after tucking a bookmark in between the pages. “Write a message and wait for a response.”

 

“It’s – It’s not that simple! What if they’re busy, or… taking a test or something!”

 

Syo’s explanation forced a laugh out of Ren and the attention of the rest of the group, all enraptured by the topic.

 

“Syo-chan! I think whoever they are, they’d probably be happy to hear from you!” Natsuki was optimistic as always, practically tackling the smaller blond with an encouraging squeeze around the neck.

 

“I haven’t reached out to mine either, but I’ve been thinking about it too,” Otoya admitted sheepishly, bright gaze landing on recently-coupled Cecil and Haruka. “I know it’s kind of a new thing, letting idols announce their soulmates… But I think I’d like to try to meet mine, soon. If I have one—!  It’d be nice.”

 

“Don’t be so sure,” The group’s enthusiasm muted when it was Ren to have the dissenting opinion, especially as the most notoriously flirtatious of the group. He had stood up, now, clearly with the intention to leave. “Sometimes it just makes more trouble for them. Who wants a forced connection with a stranger anyway?”

 

“Some people enjoy a sense of connection to others, Jinguji.” Masato found himself standing as well, gaze steady as Ren turned to meet him challengingly. The others looked between them with trepidation, Haruka already beginning to flutter into the middle of them to play peacekeeper.

 

After a second of silent, unreadable silence, Ren shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

“Go for it, Ikki, Ochibi. …No matter what happens, not much will change here, right?”

 

Haruka seemed appeased by that group-inclusive statement, as did everyone else given Ren’s prior lone wolf behavior. Her smile visibly softened Ren up enough for him to return it, but not enough for him to stay amongst the group as they all returned to the topic again.

 

“So… maybe we all should do it tonight? And if we want to, we can talk about it tomorrow? But only if we want to – the option’s just there for us, ya know?” Syo proposed a plan eagerly, earning mixed degrees of reluctance and immediate approval.

 

Masato watched Ren’s retreating figure.

 

“Masato? You in too?”

 

“Hm..? I suppose…”

 

“Okay, good!”

 

\--

 

Though when night fell, he found himself at an impasse. He hadn’t actually meant to agree to the plan. He… hadn’t talked to his since he said goodbye all those years ago. Freer from his father’s influence now than ever, he supposed this was his chance but staring at his wrist in the lamplight reminded him of the bitter sting of the angry, confused words that had carved his wrist following his hasty recant of their friendship.

 

Would it just be a nuisance to reach out now…?

 

He rose from his seat to switch off the lamp and climb into his bunk beneath his slumbering roommate’s, but paused again with his fingers on the switch.

 

“Whatever you’re chewing on, just charge into it headlong already and shut the light off.” A grouchy murmur from Ranmaru’s bed made him twitch in surprise, finger flicking off the light.

 

It wasn’t until Masato was tucked into bed under the covers, finger hovering over his wrist in the dark, that he murmured back a quiet thank-you to his abrasive, but helpful senior.

His fingers traced a familiar symbol on his wrist and let sleep whisk him away.

 

\--

 

One bunk above him, the symbol for good luck carved itself onto Ren’s wrist before his very eyes, leaving behind the same fluttery, hesitant heat of the very first.

 

\--

 

Change did come slowly, in snippets of conversation shared over weeks of breakfasts and idol work together, contrary to what Ren has said.

 

Otoya emerged bright-eyed, lips constantly twitching with a tightly-contained secret. His brightness had a way of bursting out of every crevice, though – and it didn’t take long for his liquid sunshine, infectious smile to reveal the truth.

 

Or rather, the attention it garnered drew enough to reveal Tokiya was protective of his roommate for reasons more than close companionship.

 

Syo, as it turned out, also had a soulmate, though he was getting to know his a lot more slowly than Otoya. They hadn’t exchanged names yet, but it was apparent it wasn’t anyone he knew personally.

 

Natsuki hadn’t received an answer after two weeks of gentle prodding, but he hadn’t given up hope. He had no scar of a deceased soulmate, nor a mark of one without. When he stepped away to get more juice at the breakfast table, Syo offered the quiet suggestion that Satsuki might be standing in the way right now, until Natsuki was ready. No one at the table had time to comment before the tall musician returned, but there seemed to be a shared agreement that the notion was entirely possible.

 

“My soulmate’s a good friend of mine!” Tomochika chipped in one day, full of energy after half a plate of pancakes consumed. “We’re just platonic soulmates – he’s actually married! Isn’t that crazy? He and his husband are really sweet, though. They actually watch performances when they have the time!”

 

“What about you, Hijirikawa-san?” Haruka’s innocent inquiry applied more pressure than anyone else asking could have. He was the only one who hadn’t shared aside from Ren who had been pointedly refusing to contribute aside from congratulations and polite inquiries. It was bound to happen.

 

“I…received no answer. I’m afraid reaching out to my soulmate as a child was heavily discouraged. I may have insinuated that I did not wish to speak to this person years ago.”

 

“Why?” Syo’s brows were knit in utter confusion, though his voice hit a note of indignant outrage. Masato was mildly touched that a simple remark riled such a strong response from his friends, but he tried to smooth over any hurt feelings.

 

“Ultimately if I need to marry for the good of the family, having prior attachments to someone who was possibly unsuitable to the role would be a problem.”

 

“It’s an old-fashioned tradition,” Ren cut in, sharply enough that Masato arched his eyebrows at the heat packed in the statement.

 

“I – yes, it is a bit archaic. I suppose he thought he was doing what was best for both myself and the Hijrikawa line and those dependent on us.” It did not keep Masato from clenching his jaw at Ren’s gruff dismissal, however.

 

“Do you regret it? …Cutting ties?” Haruka had a way of cutting through all the emotions to get to the core of the issue, didn’t she? “Oh! I’m sorry, that’s a very personal question.” He wasn’t given the opportunity to answer – Natsuki trying to force-feed Syo something alien and inedible ended up tipping the table and turned the area into a warzone.

 

Ren’s contemplative stare didn’t escape Masato’s notice, but cleaning up the wasteland of pancakes and maple syrup took priority.

 

\--

 

“Do you regret it, Hijirikawa?” The question came from Ren, there was no doubt about it; Ranmaru was elsewhere with other members of Quartet Night, but Masato found himself wishing it was a question that had come from his no-nonsense senpai instead. Whatever qualms Ren had with the notions of soulmates, Masato did not want to pry – it felt like crossing some unspoken line that not even punching him that fateful afternoon on the rooftop of Saotome Gakuen when Ren had actually started _trying_ had allowed him to cross.

 

“…Yes.” Why does Ren look so surprised? “I suppose it is foolish. I did not even know their name. We only spoke of the things of which children spoke but…” He shook his head. “I miss the warmth.”

 

“Maybe he’d want to know that.” It’s such an off-the-cuff Ren thing to say that Masato almost misses it.

 

“…How do you know if my soulmate is male or otherwise?”

 

Silence passes between them. Seconds into minutes. He opens his mouth to speak, Masato can already see it, an excuse – “Ren.”

 

Whatever he was going to say dies.

 

His gaze drops to the floor, away from Masato’s eyes. They’re a straining dam for his emotions, damn them – Ren’s never been able to face them at his most vunerable. The pianist’s eyes watch a long finger trace words along a tanned wrist.

He feels it. The hot rush, every slide of his finger as if it were pressed against his own skin. He doesn’t have to look down to see what it says, but he does.

 

_I missed your warmth, too, Masato._

 

The dam breaks.

 

\--

 

“When did you know?” A soft inquiry, from smiling lips. They’re not touching directly, but Ren has his lips against his own wrist and Masato can feel them against his own skin.

 

“That it was you?” Ren’s laughter is so rich and low. “Always, instinctively.” At Masato’s incredulous look, Ren’s laughter bubbles and spills over. “All right, all right! That night, a few weeks ago… when everyone wrote their soulmates. The good luck symbol – only you would do something like that.”

 

“Ah, so you kept me waiting.” The pianist rolls over to press his cheek to Ren’s, to let him know he is just teasing.

 

“I had to be sure.”

 

“Sure…?”

 

“That you wanted it. A soulmate.” _Me_ , is the unspoken word Masato hears. He sits up to cup Ren’s cheek.

 

“Most certainly.” Ren turns his head to kiss his friend’s palm, and his strawberry blonde hair tickles Masato’s skin. “If you will have me, of course.”

 

“Is that even a question, Hijirikawa?” With how irrevocably happy Ren looks, there is no way it can be.

 

“No, I suppose not.”

 

In a dorm room, Hijirikawa and Jinguji share a kiss, and their wrists glow with similar ink.

 

_Let’s try this again, shall we? I’m Hijirikawa Masato, your soulmate._

 

_I’m Jinguji Ren. Second time’s the charm, my heart and soul._

**Author's Note:**

> if i ever write a sequel to this, watch out late-bloomer soul-mate ran-chan your cute kouhai are coming for you. gee ran-chan, how come you get two soulmates,,
> 
> also i have no idea who natsuki's soulmate is, idk who deserves him tbh,,
> 
> but i totally know who syo's soulmate is.. --
> 
> so maybe a sequel staring syo and ranmaru is due after all :)


End file.
